Untitled - Electric Scotland

857-59] Tm: ABBEY AND ST. I AUl 259
hands in his determination to secure the opening of West
minster Abbey and St. Paul s Cathedral for Sunday
K ven ing Services for the people. From the very day of
his consecration he had been in communication upon the
subject with his friend, Dean Trench of Westminster, and
it was by their joint effort that one by one the many *
lions
in the path were conquered, and at last on January 3,
1858, the first great Sunday Evening Service was held in
the Abbey, in the presence of an overflowing congregation.
The Westminster difficulties overcome, the Bishop had
to face obstacles still graver at St. Paul s. It was at first
in vain that he pressed upon Dean Milman and his
colleagues the imperative necessity of utilising the great
space at their command. The impossibilities were
endless.
Milman,
"
" The
want of such services," wrote Dean
is not felt in the City, where so many churches
are available, and it is extremely doubtful whether a
sufficient congregation would attend to justify so costly
an experiment ;"
and, further,
The Bishop replied by issuing
"there is no Fabric Fund to
provide for the expenses."
an appeal to the public for subscriptions, heading the list
himself with a donation of 100. The funds were soon
forthcoming, and, after further correspondence, the space
under the Dome was at last thrown open to the public
on the evening of Advent Sunday, 1858, when the Bishop
was himself the preacher. The excitement of the occasion
was immense, and Ludgate Hill was for some time com
pletely blocked by the crowd. An hour before the time
of service every seat was occupied, and enormous numbers
(variously estimated in the newspapers at from 10,000
to 100,000) were turned away for want of room. The
services were well attended throughout the winter, and
the Bishop exhausted every effort in the endeavour to
persuade the Chapter of St. Paul s to continue them in